Solar battery wireless inclinometer

ABSTRACT

An inclinometer that provides inclination data of a walking beam in a rod pumping system includes a cover including an indented portion external to the inclinometer. The cover is attached to a chassis which together provide an internal area. Magnets are attached to a bottom of the chassis to magnetically attach the inclinometer to the walking beam. A power supply within the internal area includes a power storage and a charger. A solar panel is disposed in the indented portion of the cover and electrically connects to the power supply through a hole in the cover. Beam angle sensor circuitry measures an inclination of the walking beam and transmits corresponding inclination measurement data via an antenna in the internal area. The power supply is configured to supply power to this beam angle sensor circuitry.

This application is a continuation application of copending U.S.application Ser. No. 14/467,574, filed on Aug. 25, 2014 which is herebyincorporated by reference, in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to a rod pumpingsystem. For example, embodiments of the present invention relate to anapparatus for measuring an angle of the walking beam of a rod pumpingsystem.

BACKGROUND

Inclinometers are used in rod pumping systems to measure the angle of awalking beam. This measurement is helpful for determining the operatingstatus of a rod pumping system. For example, an inclinometer installedon a beam of a polished rod pumping system may be used to determine therunning distance of the polished rod during pumping operation. Based onthe polished rod running distance, information on the pump runningstatus can be obtained.

Existing inclinometers are typically powered by an external powersupply, which is often an independent power source needing regularreplacement and maintenance. U.S. Pat. No. 7,219,723 to Barnes shows anexample of an external power supply. Because the power supply isexternal to the inclinometer, resulting wires are easily damaged due tothe environment (e.g., water and heat). Water can also leak into theinclinometer at the places where the external wires are connected to theinclinometer. Furthermore, installation of the inclinometer is difficultdue to the separate external power supply and other external componentssuch as antennas. Attaching such an inclinometer to the walking beam canbe awkward, but placement should be precise in order to obtain accuratemeasurements.

SUMMARY

An inclinometer provides inclination data of a walking beam in a rodpumping system, The inclinometer includes a cover including an indentedportion external to the inclinometer; a chassis, the cover attached tothe chassis, and the cover and the chassis providing an internal area ofthe inclinometer; one or more magnets attached to a bottom of thechassis and configured to magnetically attach the inclinometer to thewalking beam; a power supply within the internal area of theinclinometer and including a power storage and a charger; a solar paneldisposed in the indented portion of the cover and electrically connectedto the power supply through a hole in the cover; an antenna, wherein theantenna is within the internal area of the inclinometer; beam anglesensor circuitry configured to measure an inclination of the walkingbeam and transmit corresponding inclination measurement data via theantenna, wherein the power supply is configured to supply power to thebeam angle sensor circuitry.

A method of manufacturing an inclinometer that provides inclination dataof a walking beam in a rod pumping system includes providing a coverincluding an indented portion external to the inclinometer; providing achassis, the cover attached to the chassis, and the cover and thechassis providing an internal area of the inclinometer; providing one ormore magnets attached to a bottom of the chassis and configured tomagnetically attach the inclinometer to the walking beam; providing apower supply within the internal area of the inclinometer and includinga power storage and a charger; providing a solar panel disposed in theindented portion of the cover and electrically connected to the powersupply through a hole in the cover; providing an antenna, wherein theantenna is within the internal area of the inclinometer; providing beamangle sensor circuitry configured to measure an inclination of thewalking beam and transmit corresponding inclination measurement data viathe antenna, wherein the power supply is configured to supply power tothe beam angle sensor circuitry.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of embodiments the invention and are incorporated in andconstitute a part of this specification, illustrate implementations ofthe invention and together with the description serve to explain theprinciples of embodiments of the invention. Throughout the drawings,same or similar reference numbers may be used to indicate same orsimilar parts. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates an example rod pumping system together with anembodiment of the inclinometer of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of the inclinometer of the presentinvention mounted on a beam of an example rod pumping system;

FIG. 3A illustrates an exploded view of an inclinometer according to anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3B illustrates another exploded view of an inclinometer accordingto an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4A illustrates a perspective view of an inclinometer according toan embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4B illustrates a perspective view of an inclinometer according toan embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5A illustrates a top view of an inclinometer according to anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5B illustrates a side view of an inclinometer according to anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5C illustrates a cross-section of an inclinometer according to anembodiment of the present invention at A-A of FIG. 5A; and

FIG. 6 illustrates a block diagram of circuitry according to anembodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the presentinvention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. It is to be understood that the figures and descriptionsincluded herein illustrate and describe elements that may be ofparticular relevance to the present invention, while eliminating, forpurposes of clarity, other elements found in typical rod pumping systemsor methods.

FIG. 1 illustrates a rod pump system 100 which may be used to pump oil,together with an embodiment of an inclinometer 200 of the presentinvention. The example rod pumping system 100 includes a walking beam101, horsehead 102, motor and gear drive 103, and polished rod 110. Asthe horsehead 102 moves up and down during operation of the rod pumpingsystem 100, so does the polished rod 110.

With reference to FIG. 2, the inclinometer 200 may be installed on thewalking beam 101 of the pumping system 100. In an example embodiment,the inclinometer 200 is installed on the walking beam 101 above thepivot point 104; however, embodiments of the invention are not limitedthereto.

With reference to FIGS. 3A and 4A, the inclinometer 200 may be installedon the walking beam 101 through use of magnets 212 attached to theinclinometer 200. The magnets 212 may be attached to the inclinometer200 by, for example, screws 215 secured to a bottom chassis 211 of theinclinometer 200. The magnets 212 may thereby form a part ofinclinometer 200 and allow the inclinometer 200 to be magneticallysecured to the walking beam 101. This sort of magnetic attachmentmechanism provides practical advantages, because the walking beam 101does not need to be modified (e.g., drilled) in order to install theinclinometer 200. Furthermore, adjustments to the position of theinclinometer 200 can easily be made. While the inclinometer according toembodiments of the present invention is structured to be relativelymaintenance free, the inclinometer 200 with these features can also beeasily removed for maintenance.

In example embodiments, the magnets 212 are circularly-shaped. As shownin FIG. 4A, each of four magnets 212 may be placed diagonally inward ofcorresponding screws 216. In some embodiments of the invention, themagnets 212 are structured to receive screws 215, but in otherembodiments, the magnets may be secured to the bottom chassis 211 by useof bolts or glue.

With reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B, for assisting in installation, anupper cover 210 of the inclinometer 200 may include an arrow 250 that isused to determine the proper orientation of inclinometer 200 atinstallation. For example, arrow 250 may be placed to point towards thehorsehead 102 of the system 100 when the inclinometer 200 is properlyinstalled.

While the embodiments of the invention described above allow theinclinometer 200 to magnetically attach to walking beam 101 and mayprovide advantages associated therewith, embodiments of the inventionare not necessarily limited thereto.

The outer body of the inclinometer 200 may include the upper cover 210and the bottom chassis 211. In some embodiments of the invention, thecover 210 may be made of plastic; however, other materials may be used.In example embodiments, the cover 210 is made of a material such asplastic so as not to significantly interfere with wirelesstransmissions. The upper cover 210 may be roughly rectangular in shapeand may be secured to the bottom chassis 211 in a groove 218 on thechassis 211 that defines an outline of the bottom edge of cover 210. Insome embodiments, a gasket 213 may be provided in the groove and betweenthe chassis 211 and the cover 210 in order to provide additionalprotection from the outdoor elements. The cover 210 may include holesaligned with holes 214 and configured to receive, for example, screws orbolts 216, so that the chassis 211 may be tightly secured to cover 211by tightening the screws.

The gasket 213 may be made of rubber or another elastomeric/compressiblewater-resistant or water-proof material. In some embodiments of theinvention, the gasket 213 provides a waterproof seal between the cover210 and the chassis 211, thereby providing an internal area of theinclinometer 200 that is protected from the outdoor elements.

On top of the cover 210 may be an indented portion 241. This indentedportion 241 of the cover 210 may be shaped to correspond to the shape ofa solar panel 240 which is placed within the indented portion 241 andsecured to the cover 210. The solar panel 240 may be secured through useof glue or another adhesive material. The solar panel 240 may comprise aset of solar photovoltaic modules and may derive current from externallight to thereby provide energy to the inclinometer 200. Because thesolar panel 240 is formed on top of the inclinometer 200 as part of theinclinometer 200, electric cable(s) connected to an exterior powersource are eliminated. Therefore, embodiments of the invention may easethe facilitation of inclinometer maintenance, improve energy efficiency,and avoid the impact that outdoor elements such as heat and watertypically have on external cables and other elements.

The power connection between the solar panel 240 and other circuitry ofthe inclinometer 200 may be made through wire(s) connecting to the solarpanel 240 to a charger 310 discussed below. These wires may pass througha through-hole 242 of the cover 210. In some embodiments of theinvention, the hole 242 is positioned in the middle of the indentedportion 241 of the cover 210 so that any water or other externalelements has the furthest distance to travel underneath solar panel 240before reaching the hole 242, thereby reducing the likelihood that wateris able to leak into the interior of the inclinometer 200.

The bottom chassis 211 of the inclinometer 200 may further include a rim217. The sides of this rim 217 may be flush with the upper cover 210when the cover 210 is secured to the chassis 211. The rim 217 maythereby provide additional protection from exterior elements such aswater, because water would have to first get past the gasket 213 andthen rise above the height level of the sides of the rim 217 which isflush with the upper cover 210.

The rim 217 may further include waved portions 219 which are interior ofthe respective holes 214. In this way, any water that may leak throughthe holes 214 from underneath the inclinometer is nevertheless blockedby leaking into the interior of the inclinometer by the waved portions219 of the rim 217.

To turn on or off the inclinometer 200, the upper cover 210 of theinclinometer 200 may include a location 231 corresponding to a magneticcontrol button 230 mounted on printed circuit board 220. As shown inFIG. 3A, this location 231 may, for example, be labeled on the exteriorof the upper cover 210 as a “magnet switch.” By placing a permanentmagnet at this location, the inclinometer 200 may be powered on. Byincluding this “magnet switch” rather than a traditional button-styleswitch, there is no possibility for water to enter the interior of theinclinometer 200 through the switch.

The interior of the inclinometer 200 may include the circuitry and powersupply of the inclinometer. The power supply may include an electricalpower storage 341 secured to chassis 211 via screws or bolts 247 and abracket 246. In some embodiments of the invention, the power storage 341and bracket 246 have a smoothly curved triangular shape, and the powerstorage 341 includes a battery.

FIG. 6 illustrates a schematic circuit configuration of the inclinometer200 according to some embodiments of the invention. With reference toFIG. 6, as mentioned above, the solar panel 240 may be connected to acharger 310. This connection may be a parallel connection. The charger310 may in turn be connected to the electrical power storage 341. Thecharger 310 and power storage 341 (which may be termed a “power supply”)may be connected in parallel to inclinometer (beam angle) sensor 320,signal processor 330, and signal modulation device 340, via magnetswitch 360. The magnet switch 360 may turn on or off this parallelconnection between the power supply and sensor 320, processor 330, anddevice 340. The sensor 320, signal processor 330, and signal modulationdevice 340 may be included on printed circuit board 220 (see FIG. 3A).The charger 310 may receive current from the solar panel 240 and chargethe power storage 341 with energy based on this current. The solar panel240, charger 310, and electrical power storage 341 may help to ensurestable or constant current for the inclinometer even during cloudy days,night time, or other low-light situations. In some embodiments of theinvention, the power supply may connect to the sensor 320, signalprocessor 330, and modulation device 240 in parallel.

The inclinometer (beam angle) sensor 320 may be configured to sense andoutput, as an electrical signal, the angle of the walking beam 101. Inan example embodiment, the inclinometer sensor 320 may includeaccelerometer circuitry such as the Analog Devices™ ADXL203accelerometer. However, the inclinometer sensor 320 is not limitedthereto. The beam angle signal may be output from the sensor 320 to thebeam angle signal processor 330, which may calculate the angle of thewalking beam 101 based on the signal, and output this processed beamangle signal to the modulation device 340. The modulation device 340 maymodulate and/or amplify the signal received from the processor 330 to besuitable for transmitting, and output the modulated and/or amplifiedsignal to wireless transmitter 350. In some embodiments of theinvention, the above circuitry may include a non-transitory computerreadable storage medium for providing appropriate instructions to theprocessor(s).

While FIG. 6 shows modulation device 340 separate from the wirelesstransmitter 350, in some embodiments, the modulation device 340 may beincluded as part of the wireless transmitter 350. Furthermore, themodulation device 340 and/or the wireless transmitter 350 may or may notinclude an amplifier.

With reference back to FIGS. 3B and 5C, the wireless transmitter 350 isconnected to a wireless antenna 252. The antenna 252 may be internal tothe inclinometer 200. In embodiments where the cover 210 is made ofplastic, interference with the reception and transmission of wirelesssignals via the antenna 252 may thereby be low. By placing the antenna252 inside the inclinometer 200, water leakage possibilities are evenfurther avoided because there is no need for a connection through theupper cover 210 between the internal circuitry and the antenna 252.Furthermore, the antenna 252 of the inclinometer 200 is less likely tobe damaged (e.g., broken) in installation and transport.

The indented portion 241 of the upper cover 210 may be absent at alocation where the antenna 252 is located internal to the inclinometer200. As can be seen in FIG. 5C, in this way, an increased height may beprovided for the length of antenna 252.

With reference to FIG. 1, in some embodiments of the invention, thewireless transmitter 350 may transmit beam angle data via antenna 252to, for example, a nearby receiver, station, or other device that canmonitor the measured incline of the walking beam 101. For example, thewireless transmitter 350 may transmit modulated inclination data to awireless inclinometer receiver module 401 connected to a rod pumpcontroller 400 in order that the rod pumping system 100 may beappropriately controlled and monitored.

Any reference in the specification to “one embodiment” or “anembodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristicdescribed in connection with the embodiment is included in at least oneembodiment of the invention. The appearances of the phrase “in oneembodiment” at various places in the specification do not necessarilyall refer to the same embodiment.

Embodiments set forth below correspond to examples of inclinometerimplementations of the present invention. However, the various teachingsof the present invention can be applied in more than the embodiments setforth below as would be recognized by one skilled in the art.

As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, changes could bemade to the embodiments described above without departing from the broadinventive concept thereof. It is understood, therefore, that thisinvention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but isintended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of thepresent invention as defined in the appended claims.

1-8. (canceled)
 9. An inclinometer for providing inclination data of awalking beam in a rod pumping system, the inclinometer comprising: acover; a chassis, the cover configured to attach to the chassis tothereby provide an internal area of the inclinometer; a power supplywithin the internal area of the inclinometer; a solar panel on the coverand electrically connected to the power supply; an antenna; andcircuitry configured to measure an inclination of the walking beam andtransmit corresponding inclination measurement data via the antenna,wherein the power supply is configured to supply power to the circuitry.10. The inclinometer of claim 9, wherein the cover includes an indentedportion external to the inclinometer, and the solar panel is disposed inthe intended portion of the cover.
 11. The inclinometer of claim 10,wherein the solar panel is electrically connected to the power supplythrough a hole in the cover, and the hole in the cover is circular anddisposed in the center of the indented portion.
 12. The inclinometer ofclaim 9, wherein the power supply includes a power storage and acharger.
 13. The inclinometer of claim 10, wherein the antenna islocated within the internal area of the inclinometer.
 14. Theinclinometer of claim 13, wherein the indented portion is absent at alocation where the antenna is located internal to the inclinometer. 15.The inclinometer of claim 9, wherein the cover is made of plastic. 16.The inclinometer of claim 9, wherein the chassis includes a rim interiorto and flush with the cover.
 17. The inclinometer of claim 16, whereinthe rim includes four waved portions relative to each of four corners ofthe chassis, the four waved portions internal to four fastening memberssecuring the chassis to the cover.
 18. The inclinometer of claim 9,wherein the cover includes an arrow marking to indicate properorientation of the inclinometer on the walking beam.
 19. Theinclinometer of claim 9, further comprising: a magnetic switch withinthe internal area of the inclinometer and configured such that the powersupply is connected or disconnected to the circuitry by placement of amagnet at a location exterior to the inclinometer corresponding to thelocation of the magnetic switch.
 20. The inclinometer of claim 19,wherein the magnetic switch is disposed at a side of the cover.
 21. Theinclinometer of claim 9, wherein the chassis includes a groovecorresponding to an outline of a bottom edge of the cover, the bottomedge of the cover disposed in the groove with a gasket disposedtherebetween.
 22. The inclinometer of claim 9, further comprising: oneor more magnets attached to an exterior of the chassis and configured tomagnetically attach the inclinometer to the walking beam.
 23. Theinclinometer of claim 22, wherein the inclinometer comprises fourmagnets attached to the exterior portion of the chassis that isconfigured to be placed against the walking beam.
 24. A method ofmanufacturing an inclinometer to provide inclination data of a walkingbeam in a rod pumping system, the method comprising: providing a cover;providing a chassis, the cover configured to attach to the chassis tothereby provide an internal area of the inclinometer; providing a powersupply within the internal area of the inclinometer; providing a solarpanel on the cover and electrically connected to the power supply;providing an antenna; and providing circuitry configured to measure aninclination of the walking beam and transmit corresponding inclinationmeasurement data via the antenna, wherein the power supply is configuredto supply power to the circuitry.
 25. The method of claim 24, whereinthe method further comprises: providing a magnetic switch within theinternal area of the inclinometer and configured such that the powersupply is connected or disconnected to the circuitry by placement of amagnet at a location exterior to the inclinometer corresponding to thelocation of the magnetic switch.
 26. The method of claim 25, wherein themagnetic switch is disposed at a side of the cover.